Fiber Distributed Data Interconnect (FDDI)

Fiber Distributed Data Interconnect (FDDI)

FDDI is another popular local area networking technology that provides a data rate of 100 Mbps (i.e., the same data rate as Fast Ethemet). Unlike Ethernet and other LAN technologies that use copper cables to carry electrical signals, FDDI is designed to use optical fiber. Data is encoded in pulses of light?.

Optical fiber has two advantages over copper wire. First, because electrical noise does not interfere with an optical connection, the fiber can lie adjacent to powerful electrical devices. Second, because optical fibers use light, the amount of data that can be sent per unit time is much higher than cables that carry electrical signals.

It might seem that glass fibers would be difficult to install and would break if bent. However, an optical cable is surprisingly flexible. The glass fiber itself has an extremely small diameter, and the cable includes a plastic jacket that protects the fiber from breaking. Such a cable cannot bend at a ninety degree angle, but it can bend in an arc with a diameter of a few inches. Thus, installation is not difficult.